Changemakers celebrated at City & State’s Responsible 100 event

City & State honored 100 New Yorkers who improve the lives of New Yorkers at this year’s Responsible 100 awards luncheon at Sony Hall in midtown Manhattan. The annual list, which recognizes individuals making the state a better place, aims to feature changemakers from a multitude of industries in varying positions of leadership.

An animated crowd welcomed veteran NY1 anchor Dean Meminger, who opened the event thanking sponsors and celebrating the work of honorees, followed by an introduction of the event’s keynote speaker, Erin Lichy.

Known best as a reality television personality on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” the philanthropist set the record straight on preconceived notions of her, the city and her dedication to public service.

“Most people think they know New York City, and most people think they know me, but the truth is, neither of us can be reduced to a headline,” Lichy said. “My story, like so many others, is really a story about what makes this city possible when opportunity is accessible and ambition is met with belief.”

As a New York City native and product of city and state public schools, Lichy shed light on her journey into the real estate industry through her mother, while offering insight into her passion for public service by way of early housing policy internships with state legislators in Albany during college.

It was here – and in her later work as a developer – that she began to realize the importance of housing equity and sustainability by “address(ing) the housing crisis through large-scale development that benefits developers, the city and the people who need it most.”

She added: “Housing is out of reach for many, communities are being priced out, and the diversity that built New York risks becoming symbolic instead of real.”

Yet, Lichy believes that “sustainable development, fair housing and responsible growth,” can reign in the city’s ballooning affordability crisis, envisioning “a New York that works, not just for investors and institutions, but for families, creatives, artists, immigrants and future generations.”

Meminger took the stage once more to present the honorees with their awards, concluding with a group celebration in recognition of their achievements.

Honoree Sahara James, a program manager at Kinetic Communities Consulting, shared that the recognition was “very unexpected.” The native New Yorker, who leads energy justice initiatives and supports access to clean energy workforce opportunities for New Yorkers in need, shared the importance of working hard for people who deserve it most, saying that the acknowledgement “feels motivating.”

Likewise, honoree Barrie-Lyn Foster, fire chaplain of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, felt “overwhelmed” by her inclusion on the Responsible 100 list. She gave credit to her core desire to care for the communities she serves. “Loving your neighbor and loving yourself is the best thing you can do,” she said.